342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years)

342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years), also known as the 8th December, has been an eventful day throughout the years, it is the birthday of Kim Basinger, the day the opera season starts in Milan, and more importantly for my story, it is the day of the conception of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

This is also the day where Italy joins the craze, which I have been use to in Denmark. Suddenly a grand Christmas three have appeared in the entrance to our palazzo. All shops are casinos of blinking lights and inflatable Santas. And we have been in Ikea to buy Christmas lights, to put on our olive tree. We have found all the home made stars and put them on one of those small Christmas trees which you can buy in Ikea. And now that Sara has come back from Sardegna with lights and figures to make the presepe, we have all the Christmas one could wish (and some good cheeses). The figures are made in china, which is probably why Josef looks a little bit like he is from Tyrol, and the cow has a single hump. But other than that they are great

Now the stress of the Christmas presents can begin, I also found a couple of Christmas beers and some glogg, which I'm planning to use to drug myself and my Italian family this Saturday, when we are going to the mountains.

Christmas here we come. Almost, I think I will go outside to sit a bit in the sun and read in my book.